Fishing at Stratton Mountain Lake, Bennington County, Vermont

• Overview

  Within Bennington County, Vermont, you have Stratton Mountain Lake. The bank is 1,703 feet above sea level. Small at around 17 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Jamaica sits 6.2 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Albany, 54 miles distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Stratton Mountain Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Species logged across Bennington County include brook trout, brown trout and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Stratton Mountain Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 17°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Stratton Mountain Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Gulf Brook Reservoir sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Stratton Mountain Lake in what we hold.